Reenforced expansion joint



July l, 1930. A. c. FISCHER 1,769,828

REENFORGED EXPANSION JOINT Filed lMarch 22 1926 Patented July 1,1930

- UNITED STATES Parri-naroFi-icii ALBERT CHARLES FISCHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE PHILIP CAREY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF OHIO REENFORCED EXPANSION JOINT Application mediteren 22, 192s. serial No. 96,520.

My invention relates in general to expansion joints for concrete or the likeV monolithic constructions, and has particular reference to a preformed reenforced strip for this purpose.

traction. Oftenthese joints are poured but' Inhighway construction it is desirable to use a preformed strip of bituminous or other suitable material as a joint between concrete slabs to compensate for expansion and conmore frequently the oint is supplied in strip form, having been moulded, extruded or rolled out in sheet form at the factory and sold in proper dimension for the purpose to which it is to be put. v

In warmV weather these preformed strips 4are not ordinarily satisfactory unless they compared to their Width and thickness, they would not retain the desired broadlike consistency so that they could be laid in a straight line and otherwise satisfactorily handled.

The principal phase of my invention resides inthe construction of these preformed strips so as to overcome the handling difficulties just mentioned, and also aid the strip in functioning properly when installed. Brieiiy, Ivpropose to reenforce the strip with a metallic lattice.

As an illustrative embodiment of this metallic lattice I have selected what is known to the building trade as metallic lathing, and particularly that type of lathing known as diamond mesh. As a matter of fact I prefer to use this particular type of lattice due to cert-ain inherent qualities, which will be hereinafter specified.

Metallic lattice as reenforcing means, while unusually effective in one sense, would prove wholly impractical unless suitable means are employed to prevent the same from creeping, so to speak. In other words, upon expansion of the concrete sections severe pressure 1s imposed on the' joint, and this pressure frequently results, especially in warm weather when the bituminous or plastic material of the joint is soft, in the joint oozing. If a metallic lattice were employed in such a Vjoint it would be very apt to respond to this pressure, with the result that it would be forced vertically of the joint, and project over the crown of the joint, where it would be exposed to the road surface and the ragged sharp edges of the same would injure the tread surface of tires of automobiles. l

With t-he above conditions to be reckoned with the primary object of my invention is to take advantage of the many desirable reenforcing qualities of metallic lattice and to overcome the one disadvantage of the` same. I accomplish ythis purpose preferably by a construction as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a strip of tongue and groove preformed expansion joint; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a straight strip of preformed expansion joint; Figure 3 is a view in elevation of the inside of a portion of a strip of. expansion joint; Figure 4 is a detailed view in end elevation of a portion of the metallic lattice; Figure 5 is a cross section of two concrete slabs illustrating the application of one form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing in detail 5 represents a strip of expansion joint which is made up of soine standard compressible material, such as, blown asphalt. This material may be a specially prepared composition of asphalt, and a filler, or it need not be asphalt. The point is that any suitable compressible material will serve the purpose and the composition of the same has little if anything to do with the salient feature of the present invention.

I will say, however, that the most desirable way of making these strips will be with either a mouldor a sheet forming machine. rlhey could hardly be extruded when the reenforcing means is to be imbedded therein.

The strip may or'may not be surfaced with saturated felt, web-like strengthening pieces,

l0 This feature is illustrated ,in

2 l mamans As Shown in Figure 1 the strip is made with a tongue 6 on one side and a corresponding groove 7 on its `opposite side, the straight portions8 and 9 at the top and bottom of the j.

tongue and ve, the metalliclattice 10 is shown as im j dded in the strip inthe form of a continuous net like mesh. It should be noted that at least the upper edge 11 of the metallic lattice terminates short of the upper lo e 12 of the stri This is done to leave a so d crown alon t e up r edge of the strip,

so that should t e metal ic lattice creep vertically to a limited extent the solid crown will still cover -the same. The lower edge of the u metallic lattice may extend to the lower edge of the strip, but it makes no diierence which' is theupper and which is the lower edge so far as the joint is concerned but I would prefer to terminate the edge ofthe metallic latgg tice shortl of both horizontal edges of the strip, vso that the strip can be-applied-without aying attention towhich 1s top and whic is'bottom.

lIt can be readil4 seen that when a stri n constructed with t is tongue and groove 1s installed, the tongue will be imbedded in one slab and the concrete in the other slabwill fill up the groove, thus absolutely locking the 'oint between the slabs. Since the metallic an attice is imbedded as a continuous sheet sotto speak, it would be impossible for the same to creep vertically ,regardless of the pressure imposed on the sides of theI joint, and therefore I can overcome the likelihood of the 86 .same projecting above the surface of the road and injuring automobile. tires, and at the sain: time I can realize -a properly reenforced join As a further recaution `of this creeping j effect of the meta lic lattice, as well as to realise reenforci means for reventing the concrete slabsom buckling, strip with transverse openings 13, t e same being preferably made in t e straight flat a surfaces of the oint and adapted to receive transverse reen orcing members which will project from the sides ofthe strip, and adapted to be imbedded in the concrete material of the slabs in which the stri A is installed. igure 5. AIt will be more particularly referred to with Y. refeence tothe form of joint shown in Figure It can be appreciated that these transverse Il reenforcing members will serve a dual purpose, by not only positively anchoring the s metallic lattice, but as just stated, they will act as reenforcing means.

In Fi re 2 a straight surface joint is Il shown.- n this form the metallic lattice is imbedded in the material 'of the strip, just as described w'th reference to Figure 1, but

the strip is l kin the tongue and groove structure. Since t e tongue and groove is primarily relied upon to prevent creeping can uip the of the metallic lattice, and in the absence of the same, as shown in Figure 2, I will simply rely on transverse openings 13 and the mem-v bers 14 for anchoring the metallic lattice against creepi These openings are, as described with re eren'ce to igure l, made to receive transversel members y14, which project from the sides of the joint and are adapted to'be imbedded in the concrete slabs 15 and"16. I prefer to construct these members 14 `ofsteel rods.

While I have shown openings 13 in the formation of the joint, illustrated in Figure 1, I do not wish to be understood as raising a doubt as to whether the tongue and oove structure will anchor the metallic lattice, as itwill do so and need not rely on the coo eration of the members 14, but since it is o en desirable to use these members 14 in combination with the tongue and oove structure Ihave simpl illustrated t e feature as a possibility. I-a

call attention to the fact v that .the tongue and groove structure also serves as .avmeans of reventing the slabs from bucklin even w en used without the cooperation o the members 14.

Resilienc in a joint is always a desirable feature, an in selectin a metallic lattice as a reenforcing medium prefer to use a t which will impart certain resilient qualities to thejoint, so that the compressible material of the joint will not have to be solely relied on for resilient qualities. More specifically `I prefer resiliency from within. In other words, upon ex ansion of the concrete slabs the joint' must so constructed that it will compensate for the pressure, then u on contraction of the slabs thevjointshoul also be constructed so as to expand.` While the compressible material of the joint will have a certain degree of this ex anding quality, it will be or ina so constructed that it will expand from within. To realize this expansion from within I have selected a certain type of metallic. lattice, the same is illustratedin Figures 3 and 4, particularly Figure 4, where it will be noticed thatit 1s a net-like mesh made cui of strands 17 and 18, joined by webs 19, an

with the strands bent so that the high side rily limite xunless the joint is.

imv

lll

of another strand. The end elevation in Figure 4 shows this clearly. This formation A makes up a springy resilient structure which is responsive to pressure from the Ysidesand n ot only compensates for lsuch pressure but when the pressure is relieved the re-expan sion is transmitted to the surfaceof the strip ing a bituminous body having a metallic strip imbedded therein so that the bituminous substance wholly surrounds both faces and at least one end of the metallic strip, said metallic strip consisting of substantially diamond shaped meshes made .up of strands joined by webs, with the strands bent so that the highside of one strand is opposite the high side Yof another strand, whereby to `provide a springy, resilient structure responsive to pressure from the sides, and whereby the bituminous material may pass thru the openings in the foraminated structure.

3. A preformed expansion joint comprising a bituminous board-like slab having` a metallic reenforcing sheet imbedded wholly within the interior of said slab, said sheet plastic material havin imbedded therein a resilient and expansi le reticulated sheet capable of expanding the body upon release of a compressing force.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 19th day of March, 1926.

ALBERT CHARLES FISCHER. j

being forarninated and formed in a net-like mesh made up of strands joined by webs and with the strandsbent so that the high side of one strand is opposite the high side of another strand, whereby to permit the high sides of the opposed strands to be compressed toward each other to take up pressure exerted against the walls of the joint, and whereby the bituminous material of the joint ma flow`thru the meshed portions of the reen orcing strip.

4. Preformed constructional material comprising a preformed sheet of waterproofed binder having imbedded therein a sheet of reticulated metal, the meshes of which are relatively large to provide openings into which the surrounding waterproofed binder may pass, said portions of the metal form# ing said relatively open meshes being dis- .posed in open mesh formation, not only in 'the plane of the reticulated sheet but also in a plane transverse to the plane of the reticulated sheet, so that when the preformed body is subjected to pressure on its opposedrfaces, said metal prongs forming the opening mesh will compress and expand in planes transversely to the plane of the sheet.

5. Preformed elastic and compressible constructional material comprising a body of plastic material having imbedded therein a vresilient and expansible reticulated sheet 'capable of expanding the body upon release of a compressing force.

6. Preformed elastic and compressible con- 'structional material comprising a body of bituminous composition having .imbeddedI 'therein a resilient and expansible reticulated sheet capable of expanding the body upon release of a compressing force.

7. Preformed elastic and compressible expansion joint strips comprising a body of 

